


Birds of a Feather

by matsukawas



Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: Comedy, Fluff, M/M, Slice of Life, silver and sebek take care of a bird what will they do?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:08:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26843386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/matsukawas/pseuds/matsukawas
Summary: Silver and Sebek find a baby bird and, despite Sebek's protests, they end up taking it in. Sebek isn't fond of the idea at first but as time passes he warms up to the bird... and to a certain human.
Relationships: Silver/Sebek Zigvolt
Comments: 13
Kudos: 58





	Birds of a Feather

Silver and Sebek have been looking for their Dorm Leader and King, Malleus Draconia, for no less than two hours. When they started their searches the sun was still up, but now the moon has replaced it in the night sky, engulfing everything its light touched with a ghostly, white halo. The two Diasomnian searched after their master under that faint light, losing sight of him every time they thought they've finally caught up. The horned, black-haired fae loved to take nightly strolls around the campus, giving a hard time to his odd pair of guards. Especially to Sebek, who couldn't stand the thought of having his Young Master out of his sight, unable to fulfill his duty as his servant.

Silver, however, didn’t see this specific matter as a grave one. Of course, he was enthusiastic about serving his King as much as Sebek was. But unlike Sebek, he had his priorities sorted, and knew he had to focus his attention on things of greater importance. Malleus wasn't a child who needed to be babysat. In fact, he was much older than them, his age a number their mortal brain couldn't comprehend. And he was powerful, too, and could probably deal with any threat thrown at him. So it was fair enough for Silver to conclude they could at least give Malleus some free time alone once in a while.

However Sebek refused to listen to reason, and somehow Silver always ended up going along with the younger boy, giving up on trying to talk sense into him. You just couldn't stop Sebek when he set his mind into doing something. And after experiencing it first hand, Silver knew he rather just follow Sebek's shenanigans than hearing his hours-long lectures about why Silver is a failure of a servant. At this point, Silver mainly followed Sebek in order to make sure he wouldn’t get lost, or worse.

They continued walking for a while more, when Sebek stopped in his tracks, looking around worriedly. They were pretty far from the school building, and Sebek didn’t recognize his surroundings anymore, the place not looking familiar. The path they walked on still continued onward, but there was nothing but patches of thick trees on each side of it, and fireflies that flew idly around, casting their green, eerie light. Sebek was sure he saw the Young Master going in this direction, so he should follow his steps, no matter the circumstances. It was unthinkable that a servant would leave his master alone unguarded. Malleus Draconia was a King in the making, and he would be the greatest King the Valley of Thorns was ever blessed with. Sebek couldn’t simply allow for such an individual to be left without protection. The thought alone gave him the urge to scream in agony.

"What's wrong? Is Malleus-sama here?" Silver asked after he caught up with Sebek's big steps.

Sebek shook his head, "No, we did not reach him yet. We shall continue searching."

"Wait, Sebek," Silver called after Sebek, who has resumed his walking already. Sebek turned around, looking at Silver impatiently, but Silver apparently chose to pretend he didn’t notice that, "It's getting pretty late. Malleus-sama is usually back at the dorm at this hour. It's better if we go back too."

"Are you suggesting that we should abandon the Young Master?" Sebek asked, his voice threatening to turn into a shriek if Silver as much as spoke out another shameless remark of that kind.

"I wouldn't go as far as to say 'abandon'," Silver answered calmly, unfazed by Sebek's overdramatic reaction, "I'm just saying that maybe we missed him and he got back before us. We should call father and ask him if-"

"But we can't just assume that!" Sebek insisted, not even letting Silver finish his suggestion, "I am sure I saw the Young Master coming this way. As his guards we must follow his steps. We can't jump into baseless assumptions just because you got tired of a little stroll! If something was to happen to the Young Master, we… hey, are you listening to me?"

Silver didn't hear half of Sebek's rant. His attention was focused completely on the woods that grew on the right side of the road, squinting his eyes as though he was trying to spot something that was hidden between the trees.

"What is it? Is it the Young Master?" Sebek asked, his voice filled with anticipation.

"No, something else." Silver answered slowly, not taking his eyes off the woods.

"What? What is it, Silver?" Sebek said urgently, his hand climbing to his magic pen that rested in his pocket. He couldn't sense any danger, but being cautious could never hurt, as Lilia taught him.

However Silver raised an open palm in front of Sebek, signaling him there was no need to get offensive – there wasn't going to be any combat tonight. He then moved stealthy towards the trees, not taking his eyes off the woods.

Sebek raised his eyebrow and watched as Silver got further away from where he stood, making his way to the side of the road. Sebek was used to this kind of strange behavior from Silver, who was somewhat peculiar even for a human. He sometimes sensed things no one else could sense, as though he was living in his own little dream world, causing Sebek to be constantly alerted to any change in his behavior. It wasn’t like he was _worried_ about the silver-haired human, not at all. He simply had to keep an eye on him as a fellow guard. And when Silver didn’t show any signs of coming back – on the contrary, he was about to enter deeper into the woods – Sebek had no choice but to follow him. He hurried after Silver, ranting angrily under his breath.

"Stop, Silver!!" Sebek yelled after the older boy, who has already managed to disappear somewhere between the trees.

"Shhh." Silver whispered back, making Sebek even more irritated as a result.

It wasn’t a big forest, but the trees were thick, blocking the moonlight, and Sebek found himself standing in the darkness, surrounded by cries of nocturnal critters. His eyes should get used to the darkness in no time though, so he started making his way between the trees, noticing how everything looked exactly the same – it was probably more than easy to get lost here. That made him a bit nervous, but fortunately for him he didn’t have to walk for long. After a few steps he bumped into Silver, who crouched on the ground, nearly causing Sebek to fall flat on his face.

"Why are you crouching in such a place!?" Sebek screeched, but was completely ignored by Silver. Sebek didn't like that at all, so he peeked above Silver's shoulders, trying to spot the thing on the ground that made the human so focused he couldn’t even hear his fellow guard who, mind you, wasn't a very composed and quiet person.

It was a chick. A fledgling that has probably hatched a few days ago, maybe a few weeks tops, judging by its size and amount of feathers. Sebek had not the slightest idea how Silver was able to know it was there. Sebek didn’t have any right to call someone eccentric, but he didn’t find a better word to describe Silver's behavior at that moment. After all, they did somehow end up staring at this tiny creature instead of looking for the Young Master.

"Let's go, Silver," Sebek shook Silver's shoulder not-so-gently, "Our duty for tonight isn’t over yet."

"We can't leave it here." Silver said firmly, "It can't fly yet, it would be easy prey for basically any animal that resides here."

"If it gets eaten then it probably was its fate. The fact that it was unfortunate enough to fall from the nest just proves it." Sebek stated, his words painfully rational.

Silver narrowed his eyes at him, "Don't say such things, it's too cruel even for you."

"It's not a matter of being cruel, it is just nature. If you're weak, or unlucky, you're a prey whether you like it or not!"

"But wouldn’t you call the fact that we're here 'fate' too?" Silver collected the feathery creature to his hands, much to Sebek annoyance, "Maybe its fate was to be saved by us?"

Sebek's head started to ache. Silver definitely had more than one screw loose – he was always doing and saying irrational things. That was why Sebek couldn’t stand him, and yet was intrigued with him, fascinated with him at the same time.

"Fine!" Sebek gave up on convincing Silver to stop messing around. He just wanted to hurry up and resume their search after the Young Master. "Give it to me, I'll put it back in its nest."

He reached with his hand toward the bird, but the small thing cowered away, trembling in Silver's hands.

"It's scared of you." Silver snickered, "Probably because you're so intimidating. And loud."

Sebek swore that he could feel his blood boiling in his veins, "Then what do you suggest we do!?"

"We can't find its nest in this darkness. Let's take it with us for now."

"And what about the Young Ma-"

"I texted father earlier, he said that Malleus-sama has returned to the Dorm."

Sebek breathed in relief, feeling like an invisible, heavy burden was lifted from his shoulders. The Young Master was safe. Yet at the same time the relief was mixed with a bitter feeling of failure – he failed to guard his master again. It was all Silver's fault for always loafing around, Sebek tried to tell himself. It was easiest to blame the easygoing human. But he knew that he was deceiving himself. They were both equally at fault.

"I'll let it stay in my room for tonight," Silver continued, petting the bird with his finger, unaware of the storm taking place in Sebek's head, "and tomorrow we'll come here again at daylight to look for its nest."

Sebek looked at Silver in disbelief, " _We_?"

"Yeah." Silver replied simply, "It's our responsibility now."

Sebek inhaled deeply, "I am absolutely _not_ coming here again tomorrow!"

And as Sebek spoke out those words, he already knew that oh yes, he definitely would return here tomorrow. Because just like Silver couldn't help but go along with Sebek's shenanigans, Sebek couldn’t help but be dragged around by Silver's strange behavior. That was their own fate – whether they liked it or not they would, without fail, end up together.

*****

The next day the mismatched pair of guards spent their lunch break searching for the nest. They made their way to the little forest that they came across yesterday, finding it without too much effort. Sebek wasn’t so eager to use his lunchtime on anything other than eating – studying made him even hungrier than usual – but to his surprise Silver packed some sandwiches for them to eat on their way there – double the amount for Sebek – and Sebek couldn’t possibly refuse after Silver went out of his way to be so considerate. As he bit into his sandwich, tasting the raw salmon – his favorite dish, could Silver have possibly chosen it deliberately? – he could've sworn the fish tasted better than usual, filling his mouth and chest with unexplained warmth. Sebek told himself it was because Silver was being uncharacteristically kind, probably trying to buy his cooperation with food. But Sebek wouldn't fall for that! After today, he would _never_ go along with Silver and his bad ideas again.

Silver didn’t touch his sandwiches, and at some point he told Sebek he could eat his share too, which Sebek happily did. He carried a small cardboard box that was carefully padded with soft, fluffy blankets at the bottom. The little chick rested inside, so weakened it could hardly keep its eyes open. Silver kept it in his room the whole night, trying to feed it some bird food – birds often visited his room, so he always made sure to buy a stock of bags from Sam's Shop, just in case – but it refused everything Silver offered it. The tiny bird looked exhausted, but Silver couldn’t find any wounds or injuries, so it was no surprise that he was worried. So worried that he watched over the small animal all the way to the woods, not letting his eyes off it for a moment.

They arrived at the exact spot they visited a day earlier, where the fledgling has presumably fallen from its nest. They found it quite easily, and immediately started looking for signs of a nest between the branches, their heads looking up to the thick treetops.

"I don't see anything," Sebek said after a while, his neck aching from keeping his head up for so long, "And you, Silver?"

There was no answer. Sebek turned to look at the older boy and noticed he was still looking upward, hugging the little box in his arms as though it was some valuable treasure. It looked like he didn’t even hear Sebek's question. Sebek just couldn’t understand why he was so fixated on helping that bird. The little animal was so weak-looking, it might draw its last breath any moment. Was it even worth putting effort into helping it? Well, at the very least Silver certainly thought it was. And despite himself Sebek just… couldn't help but be drawn in, involving himself further with this troublesome person.

"How is this possible?" Silver asked no one in particular, "I don’t see a nest anywhere."

The sound of leaves rustling in the wind was the only answer Silver received. Sebek didn’t know what to say. If the bird didn’t fall from its nest, how on earth did it end up here? It couldn't just _walk_ to this random spot and stay alive. There was no logical explanation for that. And Sebek didn’t like that.

"This wood is very thick, the branches are too dense. Maybe we should ask father to levitate up there and check closer-"

"Do you really want to bother Lilia-sama with such a petty matter?" Sebek raised his voice, and judging by Silver's reaction seemed like the tiny chick got startled. Sebek couldn't tell why but it made him feel kind of guilty, and he instinctively put his fist against his mouth.

"No, you're right for a change." Silver said, earning a furious glare from the younger boy, "We should solve this matter ourselves."

"Why _we_ again!?" Sebek exclaimed, pointing at the innocent cardboard box, "The bird is frightened of me. I can't be of any help to you."

Silver looked at Sebek quietly for a while, his violet eyes so vivid that Sebek felt like he was drowning in their depths. It was silent. The wind stopped blowing in the trees, and the birds hushed their chirping. And Sebek could only hear his suspiciously loud heartbeats.

"I'll keep it in my room until it's strong enough to fly and take care of itself." Silver spoke, ignoring Sebek's sensible arguments. He then stepped closer to the taller boy and pushed the box into his hands, so assertively Sebek didn’t find a chance to resist. He was so confused he almost dropped the box to the ground.

"Wait, Silver! What are you-"

"Shush," Silver replied, smiling somewhat mischievously, a thing he has definitely learned from his father, "You carry it on the way back. You better get to know each other."

Silver started making his way out of the woods, leaving behind a very grumpy Sebek, who groaned as he thought of the mess he got himself into. He glanced at the little bird, which shivered in its covers, sensing the danger despite being a few days, maybe a couple of weeks old, its animalistic instincts working quite well. And Sebek could do nothing but hold the box firmly in his hands, and pray the animal doesn’t die of fear by the time they reach Silver's room.

*****

The bird didn’t die of fear, and its condition actually got better by the day. It gradually started to eat more often, and as it ate more it grew stronger, and eventually was able to walk around, and even hop on Silver's bed. Its feathers grew healthier too – they were shiny and blue like the ocean on a bright day. The only issue was its chirping – it hasn't let out a single sound since they found it – but that didn't stop Silver from being very high-spirited, and of course Malleus and Lilia found out about the chick as a result. Silver being this outwardly cheerful was a rare sight after all. At first, they couldn’t hide their surprise at the thought of their two pupils, who had more disagreements than hills covering the Valley of Thorns, working together to raise one bird. But they quickly grew fond of the idea and gave them their blessing, making Sebek extremely embarrassed in the process.

However, despite his initial resistance to the entire situation, Sebek found himself starting to feel responsible for the tiny animal just as much as his fellow guard. He visited Silver's room every day, sometimes more than once, wishing to check on its condition. He also noticed that the bird grew used to his presence, and though it still refused to get any closer to him, it didn’t get all tense around him anymore. Sebek couldn't deny that it was a nice feeling. Animals were always scared of him for as long as he could remember, especially the smaller, weaker species, so it was all new to him. It was something he has never experienced before, and it was exciting.

And almost as exciting was spending time with Silver in this manner. He would never admit it out loud, but being together with Silver outside of their usual schedule, for instance their training or guarding duty, was soothing. It was as though Silver's calm aura affected him, making him feel almost at peace whenever they shared the small space of Silver's room with each other, leaving the hectic world at the other side of the door. For Sebek, it was something unfamiliar – he was a guy who never rested, his mind and body always busy with how to better himself, as a student, as a knight, as a servant. Except for when he was reading, he was never truly taking it easy. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the moments he spent in Silver's room were his first genuine break in years. Combined with Silver's presence, for the first time he knew true serenity.

Sebek didn’t actively take part in caring for the bird. He appeared in Silver's room in the pretense of checking if the animal was doing alright, but stayed there for Silver, unable to take his eyes off the silver-haired human who could smile so gently in front of a mere bird. Sebek was intrigued by things he didn’t understand, and after all those years, Silver still might've been the most puzzling being he has ever met.

One Sunday noon, a little more than a week after they found the chick, Sebek made his way to Silver's room for his daily visit - not before he was done with his homework from the previous week, of course. When he arrived, he immediately knew that Silver has just woken up not so long ago. He sat on his bed, still in his pajamas, his hair messier than usual, and at least three alarm clocks lied around him. Bags of bird food were scattered on the bed, and about a dozen of birds hopped around on the sheets, on Silver's head, on his shoulders – a chaotic sight indeed, but Sebek was used to it. Birds were always attracted to Silver, even back in the Valley of Thorns (you could say he was… a chick magnet), and it didn’t change even after they enrolled in Night Raven College. For some reason the number of birds grew on Sundays, as though they knew it was their rest day, and came to grab some free food.

Sebek wasn't eager to step inside the messy room, but he took a deep breath and did it anyway, walking towards Silver's bed. Their blue bird was there as well, pecking into some crumbs that dotted the bedsheets.

"How is it doing?" Sebek asked as he sat on the bed, causing all the birds that were around to urgently take flight, flying around before they landed on different places in Silver's room. Their blue bird couldn’t fly yet, but it certainly did hop away, seeking the safety of Silver's body.

"Great. It's been eating well since I woke up." Silver answered shortly, but Sebek could see the cheerfulness in his eyes, and – as happened often recently – his chest tightened. Silver petted the blue feathers with its finger, and then added, "But it stopped eating now."

"I wonder why." Sebek said scornfully.

"I thought you two were getting along now."

"Animals never forget their instincts." Sebek explained somewhat smugly, reciting the things he has read in a book once, "Their bodies react before their heads do. You could say that the fact that it flees from me means everything is alright with it."

Silver looked deep in thought, as though he was trying to come up with some plan, and Sebek frowned, knowing that meant troubles.

"How about you try to feed it?" Silver suggested proudly, making it seem like he came up with such a bright idea.

"Are you still sleeping?" Sebek sneered.

"It's time to advance to the next level in your relationship."

"There is _no_ relationship between me and the b-"

"Don't worry, it feels safer around you."

"How on earth do you know that!?" Sebek had nothing but worries.

But Silver wasn’t listening anymore. He grabbed one of the many bags of bird food. Then, with his other hand he reached for Sebek's. He took Sebek's palm in his and turned it so it faced upward. Finally, he poured a handful of bird food into Sebek's open hand.

Sebek felt like an idiot, sitting there with bird food in his hand, having no idea what he should do next. He didn’t want anything to do with it, and he needed to gather every ounce of his willpower in order to stop himself from just throwing the pile of food in his hand to the floor. Or even better, at Silver's face. The face that looked at him so hopefully, violet eyes shining with anticipation. Sebek swallowed. For some reason, he didn’t want to let him down.

Sebek tried to approach the blue bird, but as expected it cowered away, its tiny body digging into the fabric of Silver's shirt.

"Not like that," Silver whispered, "Put your hand down on the bed. Don't move."

Sebek felt even more like an idiot than before, sitting there like some big and clumsy statue. He was certain that deep inside Silver was making fun of him, enjoying messing with his fellow guard. But there was no going back at this point. He did as Silver told him, and waited.

After about ten minutes, which probably were the longest ten minutes of Sebek's life, the little chick has miraculously taken its first, very hesitant step toward Sebek's hand. And then another one, and then another, cautiously but surely walking forward, lured by the food. Sebek started to sweat. He was scared to move, scared to blink, else the little creature would be startled and flee. Who knew that feeding a bird was such a thrilling experience?

After a few nerving moments, the bird made it safely to Sebek's hand. It examined the food, perhaps contemplating if it was worth the risk. And apparently it was, because a second later the blue chick was rummaging its beak through Sebek's hand, pecking into the food.

And as though it was a signal, every single bird in the room took flight. For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of dozens of wings flapping. And then the birds landed one by one around Sebek, chirping cheerfully. Some landed near Sebek's hand, trying to be the next to reach the food, and some landed on Sebek's shoulders and head, awaiting their turn. Sebek was covered from head to toe with birds.

Sebek couldn't hide the huge smile that appeared on his face. He didn’t even try to. It was the first time that animals got so close to him willingly, not to mention so many at the same time. Their tiny claws slightly cut his skin, but he paid no attention to that. It was an extremely rare moment, it might never happen again, so he couldn’t afford to ruin it. He wished the Young Master could see him. An idea struck him. He should have Silver take a picture of him so he could show it to the Young Master later! He turned to call Silver (slowly, as to not startle the birds), but froze in his place, the words stuck in his throat the moment he looked at the older boy.

Silver wore a huge smile of his own on his face. Sebek was pretty sure he has never seen Silver smiling quite like that. And the thing that made Sebek even more bewildered was the fact that the smile seemed to be directed at _him_. Not at the blue bird, or any other bird for that matter, and not even at the, you must admit, amusing situation. No, that gentle, almost adoring smile was for no one else but Sebek. And Sebek felt the blood rushing to his face, and his pale cheeks heated up instantly, making him feel like his brain has short-circuited. He didn't know how to deal with all the emotions – confusion, embarrassment, happiness, attraction – that welled inside his chest, so he did what he knew to do best – he screamed.

"W-What are you smiling at!?" The loud voice thundered in the room and the birds fled once again, while their blue bird leaped to take cover behind Silver's back. Taking a picture to show Malleus was out of the question now.

"Nothing in particular." Silver answered, that affectionate smile still there on his lips, "Just surprised it actually worked. And worked very well, you have to admit."

"Y-You… you're just having fun mocking me, aren't you!"

"Aren't you happy that you and Blue are closer now?"

"Blue?" Sebek was utterly puzzled for a second.

"The bird. I named it Blue. This very moment." Silver said proudly, and Sebek thought he had nothing to be proud of – Silver definitely had the lamest naming sense. Like father like son.

Sebek sighed, covering his face with his hands. There was definitely something wrong with him. He ended up being thrown off by Silver's strangeness more than usual. It was hot, and his heart beat wildly in his chest. That soft smile wouldn’t leave his head. To think that Silver, his self-proclaimed rival would show him such a vulnerable expression. It messed with his mind so bad he thought he might go crazy.

"Sebek, Blue wants to tell you something."

That was it. Sebek was tired of being twisted around Silver's little finger. He couldn't let him mess with him any longer. Thinking of which, he hasn’t scolded Silver in a long time, since they were always busy with watching over the bird recently. He would give him a good scolding and make him regret he ever made fun of him!

Sebek removed his hands from his face and was about to start his scolding session, but stopped when he saw the bird right before his eyes. It rested in Silver's hands, which Silver brought up close to Sebek's mouth. And then Sebek felt a little peck on his lips, as the tiny beak of Blue pricked his lips. Just as though it was… kissing him.

"It says 'I like you'."

Silver wasn’t smiling anymore, and Sebek finally understood that the human wasn't making fun of him – he was completely serious. He saw it in the way Silver looked at him, his eyes almost as fierce as they were whenever they sparred with their swords. But Sebek didn’t have his sword, and neither did Silver, and Sebek felt like he didn’t have the correct tools to face the situation. He could feel his face heating again, this time all the way up to the tips of his ears.

Who was the one _really_ speaking at that moment, voicing those three words Sebek so yearned to hear? Was it truly the bird or, perhaps…

Sebek concluded that he had no idea. But deep inside he knew what he _wanted_ to reply, and it all depended on whether his awkward-self could convey it properly. He hesitated for a moment, his mouth opening and shutting like a fish. Finally, he took a deep breath.

"I… like you… too."

There, he said it, the words he never wanted to accept, never wished to acknowledge. Never wished to voice. He peeked at Silver, and noticed the smile was back on his face, softer than ever.

Little Blue blinked at the two boys, and for the first time since it was saved by them, it chirped.

*****

Silver and Sebek were once again in that little forest, an innocent-looking patch of trees that grew by the side of a hidden side road. It was the place where a strange meeting took place, and it was just fitting that next it would become the place for an equally strange departure. Blue was with them, set on Silver's shoulder. It was nearly mature now – it could fly and chirp, and definitely could take care of itself. The boys knew the time to say goodbye was near.

As Blue was the first animal to ever allow Sebek anywhere near it, Sebek couldn’t help but get attached. He knew they had to release it – that was why they saved it in the first place – but it wasn’t so easy. He wished they could stay together for a while longer. He glanced at Silver who looked perfectly composed, the fact that they're doing the right thing making all doubts and uncertainties disappear. Sebek thought that it was simply impossible that Silver wasn't feeling anything. After all, the human was the one who spent the longest time with Blue, and took care of it, basically saving its life. But even if he did feel something, he didn’t let it show on his face, and Sebek had to do the same.

Silver moved Blue from his shoulder to his finger. He smiled at it tenderly, and whispered to it something that Sebek couldn't hear. Then he nuzzled his nose against Blue's beak, and the bird returned a nuzzle of its own. When they were done, Silver turned to Sebek, brining Blue closer to the taller boy so he could say his goodbyes as well.

Sebek didn’t want to say goodbye. But he knew there was no other choice. Silver was acting all tough about the situation, even though he probably didn’t want it as much as Sebek didn't, so Sebek too should see it through, until the end. So he sent one clumsy hand towards Blue. A big, rough hand that could probably do more than just harm, if he didn’t know better. But the hand learned kindness too, thanks to a certain someone, and when it reached the small bird it petted it ever so gently, carefully. Blue didn’t try to flee nor avoid Sebek, it just surrendered itself to the touch. Finally, when he was done, Sebek looked at Blue, golden reptilian eyes meeting black bird ones.

 _Thank you_ , Sebek thought, and he could swear that somehow, Blue understood him. He knew it was complete nonsense, he wasn't Silver after all. And yet, Sebek believed it to be true.

Silver felt that Sebek was done, and pulled Blue away from him. He smiled at the bird one last time, and then threw his hand up into the air, giving Blue the momentum it needed. It spread its blue wings wide and its tiny legs departed from Silver's finger, taking off to the sky, disappearing somewhere between the branches way too quickly to their liking.

The two boys kept looking up for a while, even long after Blue was nowhere to be seen anymore. Sebek lamented how it all ended so quickly. He didn’t even want to take in the bird when they first found it right here, and now it left an open hole in his chest.

Sebek felt Silver's fingers touching his, stroking them lightly before taking the big hand into his. Sebek looked at Silver, who was already looking up at him.

"You okay?" Silver asked, squeezing Sebek's hand quite powerfully. It definitely _was not_ the way to hold your lover's hand, but since it was Sebek, Silver assumed it would be alright.

"I'm perfectly fine." Sebek hurried to answer, embarrassed that Silver noticed he was getting sentimental. But you couldn’t blame him. He tried to change the subject, "What were you whispering about there?"

"I thanked Blue." Silver admitted casually, much to Sebek's surprise, "We didn’t know each other for long, but this meeting helped us to… break all sorts of walls. So I said my thanks."

Sebek knew what walls Silver was talking about, because he thanked Blue for the exact same thing. Those walls that always made them hold back around each other, each wall another complicated layer that was their relationship – childhood friends, rivals, fellow guards. All they needed was a little push, something that would remind them they could become whatever they wished to become.

Sebek should've been surprised that they came up with the same farewell words, but he really wasn’t. They were always similar in the most unexpected things. And now that they were done with their little bird-sitting mission, they had no reason to stay there any longer, and hand in hand they left the forest. When they were back on the road, Silver turned to Sebek once again.

"Want to come to my room right now?"

"R-Right now?" Sebek squeaked.

"Yeah, there' still time until our guarding duty, it shouldn't be a problem."

"No. Yes. But…"

Silver gave Sebek a confused look, and then the reason why his boyfriend was panicking so badly hit him. He chuckled and tagged on the hand he was holding, pulling Sebek down until their faces were inches from each other, Silver's lips fluttering on Sebek's ear.

"I meant to invite you to feed the other birds," Silver whispered directly into Sebek's ear, "But we can do other things if you're up to it."

Sebek flinched and pulled away from Silver (he didn't let go of his hand though), the place where Silver's warm breath touched the skin burning as though it caught fire. He tried to say something smart back at him, but he couldn’t let out any voice except for some flustered noises. He still couldn’t comprehend how Silver was so cool about the whole situation. He knew the human for years, but he would still need time to get used to _this_.

However Sebek had no intention of letting it slide without returning the favor. He probably couldn’t do it as smoothly as Silver, but he couldn’t give up without trying. So when Silver showed a little grin that meant "I-was-just-joking" and was about to finally make his way back to Diasomnia dorm, Sebek refused to advance and pulled Silver back on his tracks, until Silver bumped into Sebek's chest.

As expected it wasn't smooth at all. Probably the most awkward hug that ever took place on Night Raven College grounds, Sebek clumsily wrapping his arms around Silver's broad shoulders. It was so out of the blue that even the always calm Silver lost his cool a bit, not used to seeing Sebek being all touchy-feely. He quickly returned a hug of his own though, trying to convey to Sebek that he was doing great.

However when Sebek next leaned down and kissed him on the tip of his mouth, Silver was _truly_ astonished. And if that wasn't enough Sebek mumbled in an untypically tiny voice, "I will come."

That was just unfair. Very sly of his boyfriend to suddenly become so adorably honest, when Silver was so used to Sebek playing it tough in front of him. Silver assumed that there was also Blue to blame (or thank?) for this behavior of the younger boy – Silver could tell that saying goodbye to the bird wasn't easy for him.

Silver's heart tightened in his chest, butterflies fluttering in his stomach. He had a strong urge to spoil Sebek rotten right here right now. But he controlled himself, just like he was so accustomed to do – you had to develop very sturdy self-control around Sebek, for many reasons. Instead, he started walking once again, dragging the embarrassed Sebek - who still couldn’t quite believe he just did _that_ \- behind him.

Silver thought they could definitely skip the bird feeding today. They would have many other opportunities to try it. Actually, he should ask the birds to leave his room altogether, just for a little while. Today, he wanted to have Sebek all to himself.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading <3  
> *Disclaimer I'm not a bird expert and though I did some research some things probably didn't make sense.  
> *Subtly inspired by the Bluebird of happiness which happens to fit since Silver is often seen with blue birds~  
> my twitter if you didn't have enough silsebe: @k0itsuki


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